Computer eye strain & light sensitivity hacks

46 Sunglasses for macular degeneration & EASY decision rules

Updated: October, 2018

Finding the right sunglasses for macular degeneration is confusing.

It is confusing for the first time. And worse the second. Because you have no idea where you went wrong with the first pair of sunglasses. We see it happens time and again in the letters from our readers.

Now, you can do better.
Take a few minutes to understand 6 simple rules derived from science.
Then select from our list of 46 sunglasses/glasses suitable for AMD.

So, here is the deal:

IF YOU do NOT know:
– how to read spectrograms & compare filters
– which light wavelengths to avoid
– whether you need special sunglasses for AMD
– what’s special about blue blocking sunglasses
– about the blue light filter test kit
– whether over-prescriptions can be an effective solution
– how to recognize and avoid dangerous blue reflective coatingsJUMP FIRST to Section 3 to learn about it.

NOTE: You worry about developing AMD but don’t have it. You may consider weaker blue light filters than those suggested below. Unless someone in your family (parents, siblings, grandparents) does have AMD.

Prescription (Rx) glasses

Unfortunately, there are only two vendors offering prescription blue blockers suitable for AMD.

But, here is the kicker,Reading Glasses ETC is all about customization and personalized customer service!And, they offer seven lens tints reasonable for protection against AMD!
First, you choose a frame (over 1,000 available). Then a lens option:
– reader lens powers (Zero to +4.00 in either eye) without a prescription, or
– single vision prescription lenses (Zero to -8.00 or +6.00; up to a -4.00 cylinder).

Must I wear sunglasses for macular degeneration?

Question 1:I was diagnosed with early-stage AMD. I wear prescription glasses. I don’t have problems with brightness and glare in sunlight (never wear sunglasses). Do I need to get special sunglasses for macular degeneration?

Different types of blue-blocking eyewear for AMD

Question 2:I have been diagnosed with early onset macular degeneration. My eye specialist recommended blue-block sunglasses to slow down progression. I ordered several pairs from BluBlocker but am frustrated with the color change I see. Also, they tend to diminish the brightness of traffic lights, which I find dangerous. Can you recommend sunglasses that block the most blue light but with the most true color? Or, can I use non-prescription clear blue block glasses with polarized clip-on’s?

Many other colors also get distorted. For example:
– weak blue blockers change white to off-white
– a bit stronger to yellowish,
– then more pronounced yellow,
– yet stronger to amber,
– and, finally, the strongest filters to orange.

Bottom line:The more blue light you want to block, the more color distortion you have to live with.

*I am not aware of any research on this topic. Confirmed only by my experimentation with blue blockers. But for visual comfort, not AMD.

The example above is simple because blue blocking rates are the same. Also, the discrepancy in VLT is large.

For more complex scenarios we’ve invented the third Blue Light Protection measure:

BlueInVisibleAMD ratio

The BlueInVisible ratio tells you how much blue light is within all visible light.

BlueInVisible of unfiltered sunlight is ~26%.

Sunglasses for macular degeneration should lower that number. At 0% you are the safest.

TIP: We don’t recommend BlueInVisible above ~15% for AMD.

Here’s the formula:
BlueInVisibleAMD gives more importance to filter transmission in the high-risk (Th) range. It weighs 3-times more than transmission in the moderate-risk (Tm) range. Th and Tm are approximations: transmission at ranges’ midpoints (430nm and 480nm).

BlueInVisibleAMD = 0.26 * (0.75 * Th + 0.25 * Tm) / VLT

0.26 is the proportion of blue light in total visible sunlight. Unfiltered. Calculation: (500-400)nm / (780-400)nm = 0.26. It assumes constant spectral power distribution of sunlight throughout the visible light range. Simple and close enough.

Brands and their transmission profiles

Question 3:[From a reader who’d just be diagnosed with early AMD]. I contacted Cocoons. They said their amber sunglasses block up to 420nm and yellow up to 460nm. Now, I have light sensitivity due to cataracts. So, they advised me to get the amber lenses. Do you recommend a brand of sunglasses that block closer to 500nm? Also, Maui Jim sunglasses are coated on both sides of the lens. Cocoons sunglasses are coated only on one side for absorption and anti-glare. Your thoughts on this?

Testing of blue blockers

Blue-blocking sunglasses
To test darker glasses you may also use the Tester kit. But, as fit-overs with a pair of gray sunglasses.

When you find your favorite combo get over-glasses like your favorite Tester Filter.

If you only want to wear sunglasses it’s a bit trickier. You need to figure out the combined transmission curves:
– Use the lowest of the two transmissions* at each wavelength
– For greater accuracy, use the formula suggested above, section Use of Over-glasses